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New Zealand earthquakes in 1981

68 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in New Zealand in 1981. The largest: M7.6 off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, May 25, 1981.

From the USGS catalog. Times are local to each quake.

19801982

Map

Where every quake of 1981 was located in New Zealand. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1981

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

  1. 4.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  2. 5.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 61 km deep
  3. 5.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  4. 4.7off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand · 10 km deep
  5. 5.444 km N of Castlepoint, New Zealand · 38 km deep
  6. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  7. 5.2Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  8. 5.2Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  9. 7.1Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  10. 4.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  11. 5.1Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  12. 4.7Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  13. 5.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  14. 5.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  15. 4.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  16. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 36 km deep
  17. 4.9Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  18. 5.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  19. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  20. 5.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  21. 5.1Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  22. 4.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  23. 6.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 28 km deep
  24. 5.7227 km NE of Gisborne, New Zealand · 35 km deep
  25. 5.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  26. 5.121 km WSW of Hawera, New Zealand · 207 km deep
  27. 4.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 148 km deep
  28. 6.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  29. 4.733 km NNE of Opotiki, New Zealand · 174 km deep
  30. 4.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 128 km deep
  31. 4.668 km ENE of Whangamata, New Zealand · 202 km deep
  32. 5.160 km NNE of Castlepoint, New Zealand · 39 km deep
  33. 5.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  34. 5.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  35. 4.5off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand · 33 km deep
  36. 5.9Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 45 km deep
  37. 5.2Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 126 km deep
  38. 4.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 57 km deep
  39. 5.3100 km ENE of Gisborne, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  40. 4.8262 km NE of Tairua, New Zealand · 164 km deep
  41. 4.7Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  42. 4.8Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  43. 5.1Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  44. 4.5Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  45. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 59 km deep
  46. 5.2158 km ENE of Tairua, New Zealand · 147 km deep
  47. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 58 km deep
  48. 5.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 172 km deep
  49. 5.4off the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand · 33 km deep
  50. 5.7Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 184 km deep
  51. 5.3Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  52. 5.3off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand · 33 km deep
  53. 5.7Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  54. 5.3off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand · 33 km deep
  55. 4.6Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  56. 4.5Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  57. 4.7Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  58. 5.1Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  59. 7.6off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand · 33 km deep
  60. 4.615 km S of Otorohanga, New Zealand · 176 km deep
  61. 5.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 19 km deep
  62. 4.58 km NE of Turangi, New Zealand · 104 km deep
  63. 5.5east of the North Island of New Zealand · 44 km deep
  64. 5.5Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 10 km deep
  65. 5.7Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  66. 5.777 km NNE of Whakatane, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  67. 5.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  68. 5.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 38 km deep

The largest

The 25 largest of 1981 in New Zealand.

  1. 7.6off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand · 33 km deep
  2. 7.1Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  3. 6.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 28 km deep
  4. 6.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  5. 5.9Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 45 km deep
  6. 5.7227 km NE of Gisborne, New Zealand · 35 km deep
  7. 5.7Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 184 km deep
  8. 5.7Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 33 km deep
  9. 5.7Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  10. 5.777 km NNE of Whakatane, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  11. 5.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 61 km deep
  12. 5.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  13. 5.5east of the North Island of New Zealand · 44 km deep
  14. 5.5Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 10 km deep
  15. 5.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  16. 5.444 km N of Castlepoint, New Zealand · 38 km deep
  17. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  18. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 36 km deep
  19. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  20. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 59 km deep
  21. 5.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 58 km deep
  22. 5.4off the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand · 33 km deep
  23. 5.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  24. 5.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deep
  25. 5.3100 km ENE of Gisborne, New Zealand · 33 km deep

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 198125.5Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
February 19810
March 198145.7Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
April 198114.58 km NE of Turangi, New Zealand
May 198197.6off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand
June 198135.7Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
July 198155.4Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
August 198175.3100 km ENE of Gisborne, New Zealand
September 198125.9Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
October 198135.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
November 198176.0Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
December 1981257.1Kermadec Islands, New Zealand

What this means

The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.

By year

Every year the USGS catalog covers.

Nearby

New Zealand nowWorldwide in 1981

Sources

Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.